Kantar Media reinforced its position as a leader in audience research when it won the coveted Best Research Innovation Award at this year's UK Media Research Group Awards.

The accolade, which recognises innovation, creativity and ingenuity within media research, was awarded for the successful development and implementation of VirtualMeter.

VirtualMeter measures viewing of online video content in TV meter panel homes and ties it back to the original TV set viewing to provide cross-platform reach. The technology, developed by Kantar Media's teams in London and Saarlouis, measures online video in a way that is consistent with TV audience measurement best practice.

The project, which started in 2010 has had a major impact in the UK and around the world. Kantar Media is working in partnership with BARB to deploy the online meter into the UK panel. The meter is also being incorporated into the TV panels in Denmark, Switzerland and Singapore with further markets to be announced shortly.

Richard Asquith, Global CEO of Kantar Media Audiences, commented "We're delighted that VirtualMeter has been recognised by the industry as a significant innovation in audience measurement. As television continues to be liberated from the confines of the TV set the electronic measurement challenge for media researchers has never been greater. It is rewarding to receive this recognition of our ability to innovate whilst maintaining the highest technical standards. We remain committed to work with clients across the world to build robust, cross-screen measurement services that help them understand the changing behaviour of audiences."